Circuit controller



Feb. L. i949.

H. J. LINGAL,

cmcum CONTROLLER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 16, 1945 u@ L. mwN rINVENTOR Feb. E., 949. H, UNGAL CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Feb. 16, 1945 2Sheets-Sheet 2 and 2;

Patented Feb. 1, 1949 cmcUtl'r CONTROLLER Harry J. Lingal,

Fei-est mm, Pa...miglnoi tu Westinghouse Electric Corporation, EastPittsburgh, Pa.,

a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 16, 1945, Serial No.578,209 Claims. (Cl. 20G-'453) This invention relates generally toelectric circuit controllers, and more particularly to operating andcontrol mechanism for such controllers.

Electric switching devices for certain applications are required tooperate at extremely high speed, and this presents the problem oipreventing rebound of the switch contacts, especially when thehigh-speed operation is the circuit closing operation, in lorder toavoidarcing.

Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide novel means forpreventing rebound oi a high-speed switch element when its movement issuddenly stopped.

Anotherv object of this invention is to provide novel impact-actuatedmeans ing a high-speed switch member against rebound, when said elementis suddenly stopped.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel means for absorbingat least a part of the kinetic energy in a. high-speed switch memberwhen the movement o1' said member is halted.

Another object of thisinvention is' to provide novel actuating meansi'or closing a disconnect switch at high speed. f

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a disconnectswitch with actuating means to open the switch and concurrently storeenergywhich is suddenly releasable, to eiect high-speed closing of theswitch.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a disconnect switchwith'actuating means to open the switch and concurrently store energywhich is suddenly releasable to effect highspeed closing oi the switch,free of the actuating means.

A further object oi this invention is to provide a novel connectionbetween parts of an operating mechanism for a circuit interrupter.

These and other objects of this invention will become more apparent uponconsideration of the following detailed description of pteferredembodiments thereof, when taken'in connection with the attacheddrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a three-pole switch assemblyembodying this invention, with certain of the, parts shown in section.and with the switch blades removed;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation view of the switch assembly shown in Fig. 1,with certain of the parts broken away or shown in section to betterillustrate the construction;

Fig. 3 is a partial elevation view 4oi the actuating mechanism for theswitch shown in Figs. 1-

for.4 positively hold- Fig. 4 is a vpartial end elevation' oi themechanism illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation view, partially in section, oi a modiiledoperating mechanism for a switch assembly. such asthat shown in Figs. land 2; and v Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a part oi the operatingmechanism illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.'

This invention is illustrated on the drawings as being embodied in athree-pole disconnecting switch structure which is adapted to besupported o'n an open framework, comprising spaced pairs oi spacedupright supports 2 connected at their lower ends by longitudinallyextending angle irons 4. A suitable base B of vany desired material, may

be confined between angle irons l at the lower ends oi supports 2.Intermediatethe ends oi upright supports 2, there is provided, at each.side of the upright supports. angle irons 8 extending substantiallytransverselyvof the upright supports, and secured thereto. Thetransverse angle irons 8 support a longitudinally extending channelstructure I0, substantially intermediate between each pair oi uprightsupports 2.

At the upper ends of upright supports 2, there is provided at each sidea longitudinally extending angle iron I2 for connecting the upper endsof upright supports 2. The angle irons I2,'in turn, are adapted tosupport ing angle irons'il of smaller size, and these are connected attheir upper ends at each side by longitudinally extending angle ironsIt. 'Ihe smaller angle members il and it are for the purpose ofsupporting spaced barrierplates il, of ilber or a molded insulatingmaterial, to define spaced compartments I1 in each of whiclrthere issupported a disconnecting switch.

Each compartment l'lis provided with a base 20 secured to angle ironsul2, with theubase 20 being of any desired insulating material, suchl asber or a molded-insulating,material.A At-one end of base 20. there ismounted 'a' hinge contact structure 22 havinga tubularterminalfextension 2i at one side, in which a line conductor 'maybesecured. Hinge contact :structure Il'supports pivot means 2l, formovably supportmg a switch blade 28 for pivotal movement into'and" outoi engagement with a ,contact'jaw structure )il s e`- cured at the otherend .of` base Il. Contact jaw structure 30 is also provideiwith atubular terminal extension 22 for receiving a line conductor.

Each switch blade n is provldedwith its own operating rod Il pivotally,connectedr thereto intermediate the ends of the blade, aszat li.-Operating rods It should be oi' insulating material,

spaced vertically extendsuch, for example. as wood or a moldedinsulating material. The lower end of each operating rod 34 extendsthrough an opening in the upper end of an open rectangular frame 36,adapted to be secured at its lower end on longitudinally extendingchannel support i0. A blade closing spring 38 is mounted withineachvframe 36, and is adapted to react between the-top of the frame anda washer 40-secured adjacent the lower end of each operating rod 34. Theoperating rod 34 at the extreme right, as viewed in Fig. 1, is adaptedto be actuated ina direction to open switch blade 26, by an operatinglever 42. Operating lever 42 is of substantially inverted U shape inform, and includes spaced sides 44 and an integral connecting portion46. The operating lever 42 is pivotally supported as at 48, on asupporting bracket 50 mounted on the frame structure, and is operativelyconnected with the adjacent operating rod 34. as by a pivot pin 52 atone 'end of the lever, extending through the lower end of this operatingrod. The other end of operating lever 42 is adapted to be connected withan actuating rod 56, by means of a pivot pin 54.

For the purpose of actuating switch blades 28 in a direction to open thedisconnect switches, there is provided a solenoid operated trip-freemechanism, which is generally similar to that disclosed'in the patent to-J. B. MacNeili et al., No. 2,144,502, for Latching mechanifm, andissued January 17, 1939, to the same assignee oi.' this invention. Thismechanism includes a split tripfree lever 58 pivotally connectedintermediate its ends as at 60 with the lower end of actuating rod A56.Trip-free lever 56 is pivotally connected at one end thereof withsolenoid lever 64, as by a pivot pin 62, and is located between thesides of solenoid lever 64, which is also of split construction. Thesolenoid lever structure 64 is pivotally supported as at 66 betweenspaced supporting members 68, secured on solenoid frame 10.

Trip-free lever 58 carries a trip-free pin 12 (Fig. 6), which, in theposition of the parts shown in Fig. 1, is disposed substantially inalignment with supporting pivot 66 for solenoid lever 64, and is adaptedto beengaged by a slip-oil latch 14, pivotally mounted on the solenoidsupporting frame as at 11. Slip-ofi latch 14 is provided with a lightbiasing spring 15 to normally bias it to its latching position.

A back-up latch 16 which is pivotally mounted on the solenoid framestructure, as at 18, is provided for normally holding slip-ofi.' latch14 in latching position. A trip coil 80 is provided for releasingback-up latch 16 when energized. by causing movement of a plunger 82upwardly, as viewed in Fig. 6.

Solenoid frame 10 supports a solenoid coil having a plunger adapted tobe drawn downwardly when the coil is energized, to move solenoid lever-64 downwardly by means of connecting links 84 pivotally connected withsolenoid lever 64, and with the solenoid plunger. The swltches areillustrated in the drawings in their closed circuit position, being heldat this position by closing springs 38. When it is desired to open thedisconnecting switches, the solenoid supported by frame 10 is energizedto exert adownward pull on solenoid lever 64 and cause it to moveclockwise relative to its supporting pivot 66. Tripfree lever 56 will becarried along with solenoid lever 64, and thus move actuating rod 56downwardly to rotate operating lever 42 in a clockwise directionrelative to its supporting pivot 48. Such rotation of operating lever 42causes operating l '4 rods 34 to move upwardly. and consequently switchblades 28 are.caused to rotate in a counterclockwise direction. asviewed in Fig. 2,-to an open circuit position. During this opening ofthe switch blades, closing springs 38 are loaded. The opening movementof the blades and actuating mechanism'continues until pivot pin 62,which pivotally connects trip-free lever 58 and solenoid lever 64,engages the notch in latch lever 86 pivotally mounted on solenoidsupporting frame v10, with latch lever 86 biased to a latching positionby a light spring 80.

Now if it is desired to close the' switch, trip coil 60 is energized tomove back-up latch 16 in a counterclockwise direction and thus removethe support for slip-oil latch 14. Closing springs 38 will then beeffective to Amove switch blades 28 and actuating rod 86 in an upwarddirection. with trip-free lever 58, having been released from slipofflatch 14, pivoting in a clockwise direction about pivot pin 62, free ofthe opening solenoid mechanism, This permits closing springs 38 to closethe switches at an extremely rapid rate. The switches illustrated areused to close circuits in which extremely high currents, on the order of100,000 amperes are owing, at relatively high voltages, such as about10,000 volts. It will be obvious, that in order to prevent excessivearc-l ing, it is essential that the closing movement of the switches beextremely rapid, and it is for this reason that the closing springs 38are made to be trip-free oi the switch opening means, so as to berelatively unimpeded during a switch closing operation.

The trip-free operating mechanism is adapted to automatically conditionitself for a circuit opening operation immediately after a circuitclosing operation, because it will be observed that during closing andconsequent pivotal movement in a clockwise direction a trip-free lever58 about pivot pin 62, that pin 81 on the trip-free lever will engagelatch lever 86 to release pin 62. This then permits reset spring 62,which reacts between the top oi solenoid supporting frame 10 and a pivotpin 94 provided on solenoid lever 64, to move the solenoid lever andtrip-free lever 58 to the positions shown in full lines in Fig. 1. Suchresetting movement oi' the levers entails counter-clockwise movement ofsolenoid lever 64 under the iniluence of reset spring 82 about itssupporting shaft 68, whiiemoving tripfree lever 58 in a counterclockwisedirection about its pivot on actuating rod 56, until tripfree pin 12 isreengaged by slip-oi! latch 14. The parts are then reset for a circuitopening operation, such as described above.

An operating bellcrank lever 95 may be pivotally mounted on a support atthe top of the solenoid operating mechanism and be provided with a slotfor receiving pivot pin 60 on the lower end of actuating rod 56, and beconnected with a rod |03 for the purpose o! actuating auxiliary switchesor the like 95 in response to operation of disconnect switch blades 28.Solenoid supporting frame 'I0 may also be provided with spacedsupporting brackets 81 for supporting a manually operable jack or thelike (shown in dot and dashlines) which may be employed to open theswitches 'in the event of failure of the solenoid operating mechanism. Acontrol panel 98 may also be conveniently mointed between a pair ofupright supports 2,v such as the intermedis l 20 adjacent thereto, allof the switch Y are yadapted to be operated in unison by commonoperating mechanism, which includes a pair of longitudinally extendingconnecting links i pivotally mounted at one end by a pivot pin |0| onintegral extensions of operating lever 42. These connecting links |00are adapted to be pivotally connected as by pivot pins |04, withoperating bell cranks |02 for each o! the other disconnect switches. Theoperating bell cranks |02 are adapted to be pivotally mounted A onsupporting brackets as at |00, withfone arm pivotally connected with theoperating rod I4 of the associated disconnect switch. It will be obviousthat operation of operating lever 42 will cause similar movement of bellcranks, |02. and consequently simultaneous opening and closing of allthree of switch blades 20.

Since the closing movement of switch blades blades n is extremely rapid,due to the unimpeded force 20 exerted by closing springs I0, and sincethe blades are brought to an abrupt stop when at closed circuit positionin engagement with contact jaw structures 30, it is desirable that atleast some of the shock of this abrupt halt in blade movement beabsorbed by a shock-absorbing means, and for this purpose there isillustrated a dashpot energy-absorbing means associated with each switchoperating rod 34. structure includes a dashpot cylinder |00 supportedbeneath its associated operating rod 34, and having a dashpot piston ||0therein biased to an upperposition in the cylinder as by a compressionspring ||2. ment lo1' piston ||0 is determined by engagement of ashoulder ||4 provided on the piston. with the lower one of a series ofspaced baiiles ill kprovided in the upper end of dashpot cylinders |08.Each dashpot piston ||0 is yprovided with a connecting rod extendingthrough the closed upper end of the cylinder. and each connecting rodhas a head-l I0 thereon at its outer end. It will be observed thatpiston rod is provided with a series of tapered portions correspondingin number to the number of bames I II, for a purpose to be described'.

In the closed circuit position of disconnect switch blades 28, it willbe observed that the lower end of each operating rod 34 is in engagementwith the head IIB of its associated dashpot piston rod, to hold thepiston ata position closely adjacent the lower end of its dashpotcylinder |00.

When the switches are opened, dashpot piston i I0 is moved by its spring||2 to its upper position defined by shoulder ||4 and the lower bailleplate H6. Operating rods -34 in opening switch blades 28 travel beyondthe upper limit of movement of dashpot operating heads'lil, so that whenthe switches are permitted to be closed at a high rate by closingsprings 38, the greater part of the closing movement will -be unimpeded,kas ,previf ously described, and only after considerable mo-l Eachdashpot The upper limit of movementum and kinetic energy has been builtup heads ||8 of the'dashpot pistons. Ito move the `pistons ldownwardlyand exert a A.braking action Yon-the `closing movement oi' switch blades22.'

Since theswitches are of the air type, it isrnecessary lto seal dashpotcylinders |00, andin orderv to prevent pumping of liquid sealed withinthe will. the lower ends of 'operating rods y34 engage .v

f yances between bailles ||0 and the piston rod decreases, due to themovement oi the large ends of `the ilared portions or the piston rodinto the openings in the bailles.

Although energy-absorbingdashpots are employed. as described above,these cannot be used to absorb all the energyy in the moving switchblades 2l and actuating mechanism during the circuitclosing operation.because it is necessary that the whole operation occur at high speed, Y

since in handling the high currents at the high voltage previouslymentioned, fast closing is essential even between the time initialengagement ot the blades and their contact jaw structures Il occurs, andthe time the blades are fully inserted vin these jaw structures.Moreover, it has been i'ound that'the relative movement ofthe bladesbetween contact jaw structures 20 produces arcing. and consequently itis imperative that this be reduced to a'minimum, and especially thatrebound of the blades is prevented after a circuit closing operation. Inorder, therefore, to prevent such rebound of the blades, there isprovided a rebound preventing latch |20 for the outer end of eachconnecting link |00. This latch is best illustrated in Fig. 3. whereinit is shown as pivoted on a pivot pin |22 mounted on frame structure. Arebound preventing latch |20 is provided at each side of frame I0 foreach conswitches is adapted to be positioned just below 4 the extendedends of the adjacent pivot pin |04.

In operation, when the switches are opened in the manner previouslydescribed by the solenoid operating mechanism, latch levers |20 areadaptedto rest on the heads of stop bolts |34 mounted in frame structure38, and maintained at an adjusted position by a lock nut |00. When tripcoil 00 is energized to permit closing springs Il to close thedisconnect switches at a high speed, bolts` |20 on-.the outer ends ofconnecting links |00 vengage projections |24 oi the rebound preventinglevers substantially at the end of switch closing movement. to impart ablow on the latches |20 to cause them to rotate in a counterclockwisedirection about their supporting pivots |22, and bring4 latchprojections' |30 to a position wherein they engagepivot pins |04, sothat any tendency of the switch blades and actuating mechanism torebound when their circuit closing movement. is suddenly halted, will bepositively preventedby the presence at that time 'oi'latch projection|30` in engagement with the ends of pivot pin |04, as this positivelyprevents i` retrogrademovement of connecting links |00, and consequentlyoi' switch blades 20. It Vthere is no reboundof the mechanismforswitchblades, or

lafterattexnpted vrebound h'as occurred; the regbound preventing latchlevers |20 will then be freelto dropdown to the position where they areengaged bybolts |28. j i In Fig. 5 of the drawings, there is illustrateda yrnodlilcatio'n of actuating mechanism connect- 'sions |50 forreceivingshaft 7 ed between switch blades 28 and actuating rod 56 of thesolenoid mechanism. for providing ready adjustment, so that simultaneousmovement of the blades of each switch can be accurately and easilyobtained. For this purpose, there is mounted on a transversely extendingsupport |38, a bearing structure |40 for rotatably mounting a commonactuating shaft |42, which is of an irregular shape in cross section,such, for example, as the D-shape illustrated. Actuating rod 55 isadapted to be connected to shaft |42 by means of a crank |44, and theshaft is provided with spaced cranks |41 for each disconnect switchblade, and these cranks are operatively connected with the respectiveblades by means of operating links |48. Each of the cranks |44 and |41is provided at its inner end with a slot |45, having at opposite sidesthereof circular depres- |42. The extreme inner ends of each of thecranks are provided with a bolt |52 connecting opposite sides of slot|46. and a sleeve |54 of resilient compressibie Y material, such asrubber or the likel is adapted to be inserted between shaft |42 and thecircular portions |50 of the cranks. Sleeves |54 are normallycylindrical in form, and are employed so that when bolts |52 aretightened, the sleeves |54 will be compressed and forced to coniormtothe irregular configuration of shaft |42 and to expand into slot |46 ofthe crank, so as to form a driving connection between the shaft and eachcrank. 'Ihis type of connection of the cranks to shaft |62 not onlypermits adjustment of the cranks to any desired angular positionrelative to the shaft. in order to provide for simultaneous opening andclosing of the disconnect switches. but also provides additionalshock-absorbing protection because of the resilient nature of sleeves|54. It will be observed that the actual drive connection of cranks |44and |41 with shaft |62, is formed after the cranks have been adjusted tothe desired angular position, by taking up bolts |52.' This tighteningof bolts |52 acts to deform sleeve |54 to actually form key portionsentering into slots |46 as illustrated, and deforms the inner surface ofthe sleeve into the same D shape as the shaft."` Moreover, thisdriveconnection of cranks |44 and |41 with shaft |42 may be formed atany desired angular position by merely taking up bolts |52.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the switching apparatusdescribed herein is provided with means for causing a. high-speedoperation of movable switch contacts when moved in one direction, and isadapted to be latched by tripfree latch means at one position to enhancethe high-speed operation from this position. Moreover. when thehigh-speed switch movement is abruptly halted, certain dashpot means isprovided for absorbing some of the energy, and a particular means isprovided for positively preventing rebound of the parts moving at highspeed 4when they are suddenly stopped. The structure illustrated isembodied in a three-pole switching arrangement wherein it has certainnovel features of cooperation. In addition to the shock-absorbing andrebound preventing means,

o there is also provided an arrangement for obtaining ready adjustmentof the operating mechanism to insure simultaneous operation of themovable switch contacts.

Having described preferred embodiments of the invention in accordancewith the patent statutes, it is desired that this invention be notlimited to these particular structures, inasmuch as it will be apparentto persons skilled in the art that many modiiications and changes may bemade in the structures disclosed herein. without departing from thebroad spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, although the invention isillustrated in connection with disconnect switches, it is apparent thatit may also be employed with other types of circuit makers and breakersas covered in the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a circuit interrupter, separable contact means, actuatingmechanism for moving at least one of said contact means relative to theother in at least one direction at high speed. means for abruptlyhalting said high-speed movement, freely movable rebound-pre'ventingmeans positioned in the path of movement of a part movable with saidmechanism and said one contact means at a point adjacent the end of-said high-speed movement so as to be engaged with an impact by saidpart at said point in its opening movement to be moved beyond itsmovement with said part to a position where it is in the path of returnmovement of another part movable with said mechanism and one contactmeans, forl momentarily positively blocking rebound of said movablecontact means, and said rebound-preventing means being biased to occupya non-blocking position at all other times. i

2. In a plural phase circuit interruptor, separable contact means foreach phase. common actuatingmechanism for moving at least one contact ofeach phase relative to the other contact of each phase in at least onedirection at high speed, means forabruptly halting said highspeedmovement, means actuated by a part movable with said mechanism and saidone contacts for positively blocking rebound of said movable contacts,said blocking means comprising a movable latch member. said latch memberbeing biased to -normally occupy a position outside the path of movementof a cooperable latching portion which is movable with said mechanismand movable contact means, said latch member having a portion positionedin the path of movement of said part adjacent the end of its path ofhighspeed travel to be engaged thereby -to move said latch memberagainst its bias temporarily into engagement with said latching portion.

3. In a circuit interrupter, separable contact means, actuatingmechanism for moving at least one of said contact means relative to theother in at least one direction at high speed. means for abruptlyhalting said high-speed movement, means actuated -by a part movable withsaid mechanism and said one contact means for Dositively blockingrebound of said movable contact means, said blocking means comprising amovable latch member, said latch member being biased to normally occupya position outside the path of movement of a cooperable latching Dortionwhich is movable with said mechanism and movable contact means. saidlatch member having a portion positioned in the path of movement of saidpart adjacent the end of its path of highspeed travel to be engagedthereby with an impact to move said latch member against its biastemporarily beyond the end of the path of movement of said part to aposition into engagement with said latching portion. whereby rebound ofsaid mechanism and movable contact means is prevented, and after whichsaid latch member is returned to its normal position by its bias.

4. In a circuit interrupter. separable contact means, actuatingmechanism for moving at least one of said contact means relative to theother in at least one direction at high speed, means for abruptlyhalting said high-speed movement. inciuding' iiuid dashpot meanscomprising a closed dashpot cylinder member, -a dashpot piston having anactuating member slidably mounted through an aperture in a wall of saidcylinder member, said actuating member being positioned to be engaged bya part movable with said mechanism and said one contact means at a pointadjacent but spaced from the end of high-speed movement thereof, baillemeans in said cylinder member between said piston and said aperture. andtapered means on vsaid piston adapted to progressively decrease theclearance with said baille means during actuation of said actuatingmember to prevent the forcing. of liquid out through said apertureupon'actuation of said dashpot means and to progressively increase theresistance of said dashpot means.

5. In a disconnect switch, line contact means, blade means mounted formovement into and out of engagement with said contact means, springmeans biasing said blade means for movement into engagement with saidcontact means, motive means for moving said blade means in the oppositedirection and' charging said spring means, latch means connecting saidblade means to said motive means, means for releasing said 10 latchmeans to permit rapid closing of sai switch. means for abruptly haltingclosing movement of said blade means yatthe closed circuit position,means for preventing rebound of said blade means from its closed circuitposition including movable `blocking means biased to a nonblockingposition, means responsive to lcircuit closing movement of said blade totemporarily move said blocking means into lthe path of rebound movementoi a pari; movable with said blade means so that rebound is preventedand said blocking means automatically returns to itsv non-blockingposition after danger of rebound is past.

HARRY J. LINGAL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

